Dentaurum celebrates 125 years of excellence in 2011

Dentaurum, well known in the fields of orthodontics and dental laboratory products, is celebrating its 125th year in 2011. In preparation for a year of celebration, the company held a meeting of its subsidiaries in December at its headquarters in Ispringen, Germany.

Guests from all over the world including Australia, Benelux, France, Italy, Canada, Spain and the US met at the head office for a four-day meeting. The purpose was to exchange information and foster cooperation in product development, sales, marketing, customer service, digital media and to prepare for the significant Dentaurum anniversary year celebrations.

The managing directors of the Dentaurum Group, Mark S. Pace and Axel Winkelstroeter, started the meeting by inviting all attending to a welcome dinner in the historical Pforzheim restaurant "La Villa" – the former Villa Winkelstroeter. The reception rooms of the villa with their elaborately worked fittings reflect the lifestyle of wealthy citizens of the later German imperial period, gave the evening its special atmosphere. In this setting, the 125 years of company history of the oldest privately owned dental company in the world were given a special reality for the guests.

Exactly 100 years ago, Dr Fritz Winkelstroeter had this villa built in Bluchstrasse 32 in Pforzheim, the base of his dental company, by the architect Theodor Preckel sen. The three sons of the factory owners Fritz and Christina Winkelstroeter grew up in this beautifuly furnished villa. The family's bedrooms and the bathroom were on the first floor. The servants lived in the attic, as was usual in well-off households at the time. The reception rooms on the ground floor of the villa with their elaborate decoration are still well preserved. By a miracle, the Villa Winkelstroeter was not damaged in the second world war, although the adjacent Dentaurum plant was completely destroyed. The door handles, the staircase and the letterbox at the front door are among the many original details still to be found in the villa.

Fans of the best Italian cuisine can now enjoy high-quality food in "La Villa" and inspect the unique architecture of this well-preserved building.